HOW TO BUILD A LOU-VEE-AIRCAR
MATERIALS (PER CAR)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
One sheet of legal-sized paper
Three standard paper clips
One butterfly paper clip
One plastic soda straw
Two large index cards
Narrow masking tape
Rubber band(s)
White glue (options!)
TOOLS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pencil
Drawing compass
Pliers with wire-snipping capability
Scissors
COMPONENTS
I. Body
1. Place your pencil along the long edge of the sheet of paper. Roll the paper
around the pencil to form a tube. Tape the tube and remove the pencil. This
tube is the body tube.
2. Next, pull apart the two loops on one of the standard paper clips until the
loops are about 30 degrees apart. Slip one of the loops inside one end of the
body tube. This paper clip is the front hook.
II. Propeller and motor mount – Figure 1
1. Fold one index card at the center to make two 12.7-by-10.2-cm rectangles.
Open the fold and cut along the crease. Then cut one of the rectangles into
two 12.7-by-5.1-cm rectangles. One of these is your propeller. (Save the other
for future Air Cars or use it as a bookmark). Pierce a small hole in the center
of your propeller and put it aside.
2. Fold the remaining 12.7-by-10.2-cm card so that the 12.7-cm edges meet.
You should now have a double-thick 12.7 -by-5.1-cm rectangle. Now fold the
doubled card so that the 5.1-cm edges meet. When you open the fold, you
should have two 6.4-by-5.1-cm rectangles, each of the rectangles around
4mm from the last crease you made. Then fold the card at the creases. Your
card should now look like and “M”. This is the motor mount. A soda straw
should fit in the hollow or shallow groove, of the ”M”. Finally, trim the edges of
the mount as shown.
Figure 1
III. Wheels- Figure 2
Draw two large circles (radius = 4.5 cm) in the opposite corners of your
remaining index card. These circles will be your rear wheels. Now draw two
smaller circles (r = 2.1 cm) in the blank area between the large circles. These
circles will be your front wheels. Make a small hole in the exact center of each
circle, and then cut the circles out very carefully.
Figure 2
IV. Axles end propeller shaft- figure 3
1. To make your axles and propeller shaft, gently unfold all the remaining paper
clips (as you would open a pocket-knife). Use the pliers to straighten the clips
out as much as possible. Be careful not to twist the clips, because they may
weaken or break. The long wire is your rear axles the other two are you front
axle and propeller shaft.
2. Set the wires aside momentarily. Take your soda straw and cut it in half, and
then cut one of these halves in half as well. These are your axle tubes and
propeller tube.
3. Check to see that the. Straightened butterfly paper clip extends about 1.5 to
2.0 cm beyond the ends of the long tube, and that the straighten8nd standard
paper clips extend 1.5 to 2.0 cm past the ends of the short tubes. Snip the
wire to the proper lengths.
4. Now bend the axles and propeller shaft on one end as shown, slip them
through the tubes, and bend them on the other end.
Figure 3
ASSEMBLY
I. Axles
1. Stick the ends of the front axle through the holes in the smaller wheels and
tape the L-shaped sections of the axle to the outside of each wheel. Be sure
to rub the tape hard so that you attach the wire firmly to the wheels. Do the
same with the large wheels and the rear axle.
2. Now tape the axle tubes to the body tube as shown. Make sure that they are
at right angles to the body tube. Line them up squarely or your car will turn
improperly or lean.
II. Motor
1. The first stop in assembling the motor is to attach the propeller to the propeller
shaft. Stick the double-L end to the propeller shaft through the hole in the
propeller. Tape the L-shaped section to the wire to the back of the propeller;
make sure the tape sticks very tightly to the wire and the propeller.
2. Next, tape the propeller tube to the motor mount. Make sure the propeller tube
extends about 1 cm beyond the rear edge of the motor mount.
3. Now tape the motor mount to the rear of the body tube.
Figure 1
Figure 4
III. Power supply
1. Rubber bands provide the power for the Air Car. You can either use one very
long rubber band or link several smaller ones together. When the car is
assembled, the rubber band(s) should be long enough to hang about 2 cm
below the line from the propeller tube to the front hook.
2. Hook the rubber band to the curved end of the propeller shaft and to the front
hook.
FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
1. Add a twist to the ends of the propeller so that it will screw into the air and
push the car forward. (See the finished Air Car.) Wind the propeller about a
hundred turns and place the car on the floor.
2. Release the propeller a split second before you release the car.